Computer systems are capable of storing vast amounts of data and information. To store such information, a typical computer system maintains a logical data structure called a file system that serves as an index of individually accessible data repositories commonly known as files. A typical file system may provide a hierarchical arrangement of directories, sometimes referred to as folders. Each directory or folder maintains the identity of individual files stored within that directory or folder.
Contents of certain types of files stored in a file system can be displayed via a display application running in a respective computer system. For example, based on selection of a display application by a user, a respective computer system can initiate execution of the display application. When up and running, the display application enables a user to retrieve a file for viewing respective contents of the file on a display screen. After opening a file in a display application, the user typically applies display commands (e.g., scrolling, editing, zooming, etc.) to the display application to modify how the file appears in a window on a respective display screen.
In certain cases, a file can be read and displayed by more than one type of display application. As an example, a text file typically can be viewed in Word™ as well as Word Perfect™. Consequently, a user can operate a respective computer system to view the same file in two different types of display applications at the same time by simultaneously displaying the file via multiple running display applications. Different display applications sometimes present contents of the same file in a different way for viewing by the user.
One purpose of displaying the same file in two different display applications is to compare how two side-by-side windows associated with respective display applications display the same file. During such a display process, when a file being displayed is relatively large and a respective display application cannot display contents of an entire file all at once, the user must manually provide input to each of two or more different display applications and toggle between these each time to synchronously scroll through the file for comparison purposes. For example, a user must manually jump back and forth between two windows and input the same set of display commands to both display applications to synchronously scroll in the side-by-side windows.